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Hiking this trail is akin to hiking through a history book. Each step turns another page.

If you are going to go, now is the time. It won’t be long until the trail will be smothered by pesky stinging nettles. The plants are prolific along the route, already waist high in some areas. Using a walking pole to beat the buggers back is a necessity. It won’t be long until the spiny denizens will make the trek a prickly one.

Adding insult to injury, devil’s club is also abundant. Contact with either can cause severe skin irritation.

It is indeed a walking history lesson as one ventures along the remnants of the Everett and Monte Cristo Railroad Grade that was built in 1892-1893 and abandoned in 1934.

The trail eventually leads past a lime kiln built in 1899 by the Canyon Lime and Cement Company.

Along the way, numerous artifacts from a bygone era are encountered. Keep a close eye out for scraps from old leather shoes, rusty saw blades, pots and pans, wash basins, cast-iron stove tops, broken bottles as well as bricks and rusted pieces of railroad tracks.

For the first time in my outdoor career, and after hiking hundreds of miles worth of trails in a number of states, I had my first encounter with a cougar.

It was rather surreal experience as I came over a hill and spotted what appeared to a brown-colored bush looking completely out of place among the high, green grass about 25 yards below.

I stopped in my tracks.

Moments later, the crouching bush got up and ventured out onto the middle of the trail.

It was now obvious it was a Puma concolor — a cougar.

The animal never looked back at me, as I stood motionless atop the knoll. It rose, sauntered out into the middle of trail, stopped briefly, then traipsed away — in the same direction I was heading — naturally.

I had read the warning signs at the trailhead. There was a couple of paragraphs on black bears, as well as cougars. Below the cougar info, there was a snippet that read “although it was prime cougar habitat, no cougars had been sighted in the area.”

So much for that.

I continued, making as much noise as I could. Singing poorly, as well as loudly, while kicking every rock while keeping a sharp eye out for eyes looking back at me.

The sign at the trailhead boasts a lot of information, both written and photographic pertaining to the areas history. After absorbing all the written info and perusing the old photographs, hit the trail.


The trek

Head up a slight incline through second-growth forest of cedars and Douglas fir trees. At their bases, vast green frowns carpeted the understory.

A sign states that the next 0.8 mile is bordered by private property. Make sure and stick to the trail. It goes from double-wide track to single track as the forest budges its way closer. The stinging nettles are thick, as are the blackberry brambles. Salmon berries are also plentiful.

At the next sign, proceed right, bearing toward the Lime Kiln approximately 2.2 miles farther on. Cross the first of what will be several footbridges that keep hikers feet dry along the route. Continuing uphill, the trail bursts out onto an old roadbed.

After negotiating a rather steep incline, and bending to the right, the road ends at a “T” intersection.

The sign points to the right for the Robe Canyon Park as well as the Lime Kiln. (I was curious as to what lay ahead if venturing to the left, so I ventured that way. I will save you the extra four-mile round trip. The old road continues to descend before ending at a massive gravel pit. Save your effort and time for the trek to the Lime Kiln. It’s much more interesting.)

Venturing right, the road descends and bends sharply to the left. It’s now 1.5 miles to the Lime Kiln.

Another wooden sign proclaims, “Entering Robe Canyon Historic Park.”

The old road bed disappears a short distance farther, replaced by a trail that precariously snakes its way along a steep slope. The trail is very narrow and strewn with rocks and roots. It widens just before reaching the extremely sturdy Hubbard Creek Bridge.

Once on the other side of the bridge, old man’s beard clings to seemingly every tree branch.

Watch on the left for the “Hiker’s Only” sign. From here, it’s 1.2 miles to the Lime Kiln and 1.9 miles to the River Shore Loop Trail.

Hang a left and continue on.

The trail narrows as it descends deeper into the canyon. It literally clings to the hillside.

Reaching the site of the Everett and Monte Cristo Railroad Grade, it’s impossible to imagine that trains once rumbled along this route. A sign proclaims that artifacts found along the route are not to be removed. (At the trailhead, read about an individual who was prosecuted after he decided to take an antique engine in order to restore it.)

This trail, like many throughout the Northwest, was damaged by winter storms. Unlike many, however, it has been repaired. Reach the first of several “new” sections, highlighted by the fresh-looking dirt.

Walk underneath one log and cross a footbridge to get the first glimpse of the south fork of the Stillaguamish River raging below. Cross another footbridge and switch back uphill. Encounter another section of trail erased by a huge slide. It has since been rebuilt. Don’t linger, however, due to the fact that the remainder of the hillside is rather precariously perched and may decide to re-establish itself again at any time.

Proceed underneath a phalanx of cedar trees which crashed to the ground, leaving a Mother-Nature created roof over the trail. Pass a rock face that weeps as the water trickles over it. It’s here where skunk cabbage grows practically right on the trail.

The next sign reads “Cutoff Junction,” a historic site that runs for the next 1/2 mile. It’s along this stretch where many artifacts can be seen.

An old stove top, pieces of railway railing, wash basins and pots are just a few of the remnants. An old leather boot lies beside several massive, as well as rusting circular saw blades.

Getting caught up in all the artifacts is easy to do. Hiking around the next corner, one could easily hike right by the Lime Kiln. The massive stone structure sits back in the woods, just off the trail and over the year’s has become camouflaged.

The kiln was used to process limestone from a quarry just up the hill from this location. The kiln had a capacity of 100 tons, and production from the quarry was about 60 tons per day.

About 30,000 tons of limestone were burned in the kiln.

The limestone was loaded into the kiln from the top and fires inside heated the stone, causing a breakdown of the ore’s crystalline formations and thus yielding anhydrous lime.

The lime was used as a whitening agent at a paper mill near the town of Lowell and as a flux agent at the smelter in north Everett.

The kiln’s massive blocks continue to stand the test of time. Its wrinkles are large ferns that protrude from the facing.

After checking out the kiln, return to the trail, passing the site where the Cavanaugh Timber Company Logging Railway once stood. A stone’s throw away, lies the site where the Johnson-Dean Lumber Companies Logging Railway Bridge once stood. The abutments have long since been engulfed by the surrounding vegetation and the span itself was long ago swallowed by the rivers waters.

It’s obvious why the bridge was built here. The gorge narrows at the point, forcing the river through a frenzy of rapids.

Scrambling across another section of trail wiped out by a slide, this one yet to be repaired. A quick glimpse below reveals a large oxbow in the river. Past the slow-moving section of river, the water boils and roars.

Continuing on, reach a sign proclaiming the trail ends in 400 feet, at the site of the Everett and Monte Cristo Bridge. The sign also points the way to the River Shore Loop Trail. Continue straight to the end of the trail.

The bridge span used to lead across the river and directly into a tunnel. The tunnel has since collapsed, just like the bridge. What remains of the bridge can be seen when the river’s waters are low. If you looks hard enough, you can just make out where the bridge continued on the other side.

Retracing your steps, proceed right on the very narrow and rocky River Shore Loop Trail. The trail leads to the river’s shore. Venture out onto a large, rocky bar and check out the rather strangely shaped rock that lies in the middle of the rushing current.

Sit on a rock underneath a giant cedar tree and catch your breath. Maybe taking time to hearken back to the days when miners and loggers gazed upon the very same view.

Continuing on, the trail grows steep as the river explodes below in a flowing, white froth. The roar of the thunderous rapids soon drowns out all other sounds.

Returning to the main trail, proceed right and began the return trek back to the rig.

Distance: 7 miles

Destination: River Loop Trail

Difficulty: Moderate

Elevation gain: 600 feet

Getting there: From I-5, take Everett exit 194 (US 2) eastbound. At 2.1 miles, merge onto State Route 204, toward Lake Stevens. At 2.6 miles, turn right at the light onto State Route 9. Continue north for 1.7 miles. Turn right onto State Route 92 and drive 8.2 miles to Granite Falls. Go through three lighted intersections. Turn right at the North Alder Street stop sign. Drive 1.2 miles and turn left onto Waite Mill Road. Go 0.5 mile to the school bus turnaround and take the road branch to the left and follow it to the Robe Canyon Historic Park Lime Kiln Trail and go left. In about 200 feet, you will reach the parking lot.